Pages

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Darren Hayes full album review

And I almost forgot about a full review of Darren Hayes' new album! Let me say first, I do love it, I'm just not "in love" with it. It's definitely not a "This Delicate Thing We've Made" quality album. It most definitely sounds more like a Savage Garden record than a Darren record. Plus, this is the first time I can't point out songs and go, "OMG, he's talking about me personally", this is more of a "OMG, he's talking about my relationship with so-and-so". Maybe that's it, the personality is out of this record and it's just about everyone else...maybe that's what it's lacking...Darren's soul. Did he sell it for a record deal? Time will tell.

But for specific song examples, "Bloodstained Heart" is the best song on the album, hands down.

"Hurt" I would definitely dedicate to anyone who tries to get close to me and definitely to my best-ies:If you want something broke you better give it to me
I've got a way of disappointing that you wouldn't believe
I can take a good intention and turn it on it's head
I can make you pray to god and wish we'd never met

"Cruel Cruel World" without a doubt made me think first and foremost of my sister the second I heard it:I don't know how I'm supposed to feel
Without my tiny little pills
Sudden emotion I have awoken
I'm wet behind the ears
To find myself in such a cruel cruel world
Nobody gets me, nobody gets me, nobody gets me like you
Everyone left me, everyone left me, everyone left me but you
Now You're the only one, the only one, the only one who get's through
And when my hope is gone, I'm feeling numb, the only one I let through is you
You, You get me through, you, you get me through this cruel cruel world
It's been a battle for too long
All my happiness has gone
Kindness erases
A city of strangers
Deep down in my bones
All I want to do is crawl back home to you

And I knew "Black Out The Sun" was my theme for my father, the only person alive who can actually wound my soul:No, turn off the sun, take down the moon, for I don't need them anymore
Go, switch off the stars, and paint the sky black, love isn't ever coming back
There's no use in imaging a world without you, your love was like I drug I was addicted to
Because there's nobody else who can hurt like you hurt me
I don't want to be lonely
And there's no other way
There's no joy there's no meaning
Just this hollowed out feeling
Now All the love's gone
And nothing grows here
And I just feel wrong
So black out the sun
And all that we shared will slowly disappear
There's a hole where my soul used to grow
So just black out the sun
No, stop all the rain, and poison the ground, love doesn't want to hang around
Go, turn all the fruit into bitter wine, it was only sweet when you were mine
There's an emptiness inside of me since you've been gone
All the world has lost it's meaning all my colors run
The sun
Now nothing compared
How could it even dare
Because now that love's gone
I want to black out the sun

I did download the deluxe edition and there were several bonus songs, but none to write home about, which is SO NOT Darren....my favorite songs of his have been B-sides or previously unreleased or even bonus tracks. These are more like the ones that didn't quite make the album cut. And there was a dedication song to Michael Jackson called "Glorious" that was just weird.

But, again, I do love the album (although re-reading this it almost seems like I don't). I just hope that this album does well and the record company allows him to do what he wants next time. He's created his solo fan base based on doing songs HIS way, not recreating Savage Garden (which is a bit of an oxymoron since Darren WAS Savage Garden - but fans know the difference...SG was lovey and pop-y and his solo was raw and emotional). But when it comes to Darren, I'll take what I can get!